Published 4:00 am, Wednesday, July 28, 2010

We all sat there tremendously impressed by a statuesque Russian who exuded self-confidence, spoke perfect English and generally appeared ready for anything that came her way.

Too often, such impressions are deceiving. Not with Sharapova. The 23-year-old showcased Tuesday night at the Bank of the West Classic - defeating Zheng Jie 6-4, 7-5 in her opening match - has proved to be a survivor and the most tough-minded competitor of all the talented players to come out of Eastern Europe since Monica Seles in the early '90s.

If Serena Williams emerges from the clouds of mystery surrounding her foot injury and plays the U.S. Open, most of her opponents - including some in the Top 10 - will be mentally beaten before they take the court. Sharapova will not be among them. Given Justine Henin's debilitating elbow injury and the wildly inconsistent nature of the other big names, Sharapova and Kim Clijsters are the two players everyone wants to see in Flushing Meadows showdowns with Serena.

Many believed Sharapova's career was over, at least as an elite player, when she developed a serious shoulder injury three years ago, tried to play through it, and eventually underwent surgery, forcing a nine-month layoff during the 2008 and '09 seasons. The injury dismantled her formidable serve, which she had to rebuild from scratch, and led to an elbow problem that forced her to take two months off this spring.

It wasn't until the French Open, where she took a stirring three-set loss to Henin, that people began to see the authentic Sharapova. Then came Wimbledon, where she engaged Williams in a fierce fourth-rounder before going down 7-6, 6-4.

Maria Sharapova, from Russia, blows kisses to the crowd after defeating Zheng Jie, from China, 6-4, 7-5 in the Bank of the West Classic tennis tournament in Stanford, Calif., Tuesday, July 27, 2010.

Maria Sharapova, from Russia, blows kisses to the crowd after defeating Zheng Jie, from China, 6-4, 7-5 in the Bank of the West Classic tennis tournament in Stanford, Calif., Tuesday, July 27, 2010.

Photo: Paul Sakuma, AP

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STANFORD, CA - JULY 27: Maria Sharapova of Russia returns a shot during her match against Jie Zheng of China during Day 2 of the Bank of the West Classic at Stanford University on July 27, 2010 in Stanford, California. less

STANFORD, CA - JULY 27: Maria Sharapova of Russia returns a shot during her match against Jie Zheng of China during Day 2 of the Bank of the West Classic at Stanford University on July 27, 2010 in Stanford, ... more

Photo: Ezra Shaw, Getty Images

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Sharapova tough enough to make it back to top

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"Maria is a fighter, and that sets her apart from a lot of the big hitters on tour," said longtime television analyst Mary Carillo. "That's what makes her so tough, the way she competes. She does make it hard, though, for fans to connect to her. Sometimes, greatness isn't enough."

From the moment she came on tour, Sharapova has put people off with her loud shrieks on every point. Her father, Yuri, was a colossal pain, repeatedly being accused of illegal coaching (from the stands) until he retreated from the forefront of his daughter's world.

She has known the feeling of being booed off the court at a major (the 2008 French Open, after some temper displays during a loss to Dinara Safina). Some have wondered if her "bathroom breaks" amounted to tactical gamesmanship in big matches over the years. And on top of all that, injuries nearly drove her out of the game.

Tuesday night's match never really seemed in doubt, especially with Sharapova breaking serve at love for 5-4 leads in each set. She was furious with herself after double-faulting on match point and needing another break, for 6-5, to get in position to close it out. But this was a good win over an excellent player (Zheng is ranked 23rd) with powerful groundstrokes.

"I feel like I'm slowly getting to where I want to be," said Sharapova, who has played just 27 matches overall this year. "Zheng is a great player, very good competitor, beat me the last time we played (at Indian Wells in March). She always plays to the end, and I had to be on top of my game. It wasn't the best match I've played, but it was good to get the win."

If Sharapova feels an overwhelming sense of relief at being back at full strength, she'd prefer to keep it to herself.

"I never sit here and think what could have been," she said. "I'm just very fortunate that I'm back."